KIDNAP AND RANSOM II
PRODUCTION NOTES
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***The information attached is strictly embargoed from all press use, non
commercial publication, or syndication until Wednesday 8th February 2012***
KIDNAP AND RANSOM II
CONTENTS
Press Release ............................................................................................... Pages 3 - 4
Foreword by Michael Crompton............................................................................ Page 5
Kidnap Statistics ................................................................................................... Page 6
CAST INTERVIEWS
Trevor Eve is Dominic King ........................................................................... Pages 7 - 9
Helen Baxendale is Angela Beddoes..........................................................Pages 10 - 11
Sharon Small is Beth Cooper .....................................................................Pages 12 - 13
Madhur Mittal is Anwar Razdan ..................................................................Pages 14 - 15
Gregg Chillin is Mahavir Mehta...................................................................Pages 16 - 17
Kimberley Nixon is Florence Holland ..........................................................Pages 18 - 19
Episode Synopses.............................................................................................. Page 20
Cast & Crew Credits ...................................................................................Pages 21 - 22
Press contact for ITV:
Kate Richards
Tel: 020 7157 3039
Email: kate.richards@itv.com
Picture Contact for ITV:
Patrick Smith
Tel: 020 7157 3044
Email: patrick.smith@itv.com
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Kidnap and Ransom
TREVOR EVE (Waking the Dead, Bouquet of Barbed Wire) returns as international
hostage negotiator, Dominic King in the second series of the thrilling Kidnap and
Ransom, produced by Trevor’s production company, Projector Pictures in partnership
with FremantleMedia UK for ITV1.
HELEN BAXENDALE (Dirk Gently, Cold Feet) reprises her role as Angela Beddoes,
King’s business partner, alongside AMARA KARAN (Doctor Who, The Darjeeling
Limited) as Carrie Heath and NATASHA LITTLE (Case Histories, Mistresses) as
Dominic’s wife Sophie King.
Guest starring in the new series is acclaimed star of stage and screen, SHARON
SMALL (Downton Abbey, Mistresses), MADHUR MITTAL (Slumdog Millionaire,
Treasure Island), SEAN GILDER (The Shadow Line, Shameless), CHRIS
FAIRBANK (Pirates of the Caribbean, Five Daughters), OWEN TEALE (Silk, Game
of Thrones) GREGG CHILLIN (Inside Men, Zen, Being Human), and KIMBERLEY
NIXON (Fresh Meat, Easy Virtue, Cranford).
The new series of Kidnap and Ransom is written by Michael Crompton (Silent
Witness) and directed by David Drury (The Take, Ashes to Ashes). Although set in
Kashmir, India, the 3 x 60 minute episodes were filmed on location in Cape Town,
South Africa.
Dominic King (Eve) is in Srinagar, Kashmir negotiating the release of the Mehtas, a
British Asian family kidnapped while on holiday visiting their son Mahavir. As the
handover is completed, the police arrive and a shoot-out ensues. Dominic secures
the release of the family but the kidnappers get away with Mahavir. In their panic they
board a tourist bus taking all those on board hostage.
When the tourist bus crashes in a packed market square, Dominic begins the
challenge of negotiating for the safety of a multi-national group of people, battling
against the intervention of the Indian police and trying to learn the source of the
kidnappers’ motives.
Kidnap and Ransom was created by acclaimed scriptwriter Patrick Harbinson (24,
Law & Order, ER). This series is produced by Trevor Hopkins (Strike Back, The
Prisoner) and the executive producers are Trevor Eve and Rachel Gesua.
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“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of producing the first series of Kidnap and
Ransom for ITV and bringing Dominic King to life. On behalf of Projector Pictures
we’re delighted we’ve been given a second series” said Trevor Eve.
Kidnap and Ransom has been recommissioned by ITV1’s Director of Drama
Commissioning Laura Mackie and Controller of Drama Commissioning, Sally
Haynes.
Sally commented: “We were really pleased with how the audience responded to
Kidnap and Ransom. Trevor is a fantastic screen actor and really made the
character of Dominic King his own. The second series with its plot twists and turns
promises to be as unpredictable and absorbing as the first.”
Kidnap and Ransom’s first series was a huge ratings success for ITV generating
consolidated ratings of 6.7 million and a 24% audience share for episode one and an
average of 6.0m and a 22% share for each of the three episodes.
Press Contacts:
For further inquiries:
Kate Richards
020 7157 3039 or kate.richards@itv.com
For picture enquiries: Patrick Smith
020 7157 3044 or patrick.smith@itv.com
Notes to editors:
In 2007, FremantleMedia UK (formerly talkbackTHAMES), partnered with Trevor Eve
and his drama company Projector Pictures. Kidnap and Ransom was the debut
commission under this partnership.
FremantleMedia is one of the largest international creators and producers of
entertainment brands in the world with leading prime time drama, serial drama,
entertainment and factual entertainment programming. FremantleMedia Enterprises,
the company’s content exploitation arm, offers a comprehensive Licensing,
Distribution and Home Entertainment world wide brand extension programme.
FremantleMedia is a subsidiary of RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio
broadcast company, which is 90% owned by Bertelsmann AG, an integrated media
and entertainment company that commands leading positions in the world's media
markets. www.fremantlemedia.com
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Foreword by
Writer Michael Crompton
The initial inspiration for this series of Kidnap and Ransom was the hijacking of a bus
in Rio de Janeiro in 1993. A small time criminal and drug addict got on board bus
174 and started to use the passengers as hostages. The police were ill equipped and
badly trained and the criminal became part of something that spiralled out of control –
when the hijacking came to an end he was taken into custody and murdered by
police officers. The hijacking was filmed live and then later made into a documentary.
One of the passengers was forced to write messages on the bus window using her
lipstick; which is one of several small details we use in the series.
The Manila coach crisis was a relatively recent event (2007) in which a disgruntled
police officer hijacked a bus full of tourists. When the elite police unit tried to storm
the bus (live on television) they found it very difficult to break in, giving the hijacker
time to execute a number of the tourists on board. This terrible event made me
realise how difficult it was to end a siege like this without there being bloodshed.
Over the years there have been a number of similar events where tourists have been
used as hostages. In 1995 a coach was hijacked in Kashmir by a group of terrorists.
There were six hostages taken; two British, two American, a German and a
Norwegian. The kidnappers demanded the release of prisoners in Pakistan. Despite
negotiations from the various embassies, terms were never agreed. One of the
Americans managed to escape but the Norwegian was beheaded and the remaining
hostages were never found again. This event gave me the location of the series.
Kashmir has a history of political and social unrest. It’s also one of the most beautiful
places in the world and a real tourist attraction.
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KIDNAP AND RANSOM II
Kidnap Statistics:
1.) There are over 20,000 reported kidnap for ransom incidents each year
2.) 80% of kidnap for ransom cases are unreported
3.) A kidnapping occurs every 6 hours
4.) 77% of kidnaps occur in South America
5.) In 67% of cases the ransom is paid
6.) 9% of hostages are killed
7.) Only 7% of kidnap victims are rescued
8.) 15% are released without payment
9.) 2% escape
10.) The insurance market relating to kidnap and ransom is estimated to be
valued at around $250 million
Sources:
1 – 2: http://www.castlerockinternational.com/news/casualty-insurance/kidnap-ransom-extortion/104-top-10-kidnap-ratedcountries-with-ransom-stats
3:
http://www.trojansecurities.com/trojan-kidnap-ransom.html
4:
http://www.asishouston.org/chapternews/speakers/St_Paul_Factsheet.pdf
5 – 9: http://www.niapune.com/Research/Kidnap%20&%20Ransom%20Insurance.pdf
10 : http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2007/01/10/75743.htm
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Trevor Eve is Dominic King
Are you pleased to be back for a second series of Kidnap and Ransom?
It's great to have an opportunity to do it again - it's very exciting. There's such a lot of
mileage both in the stories and in Dominic King as a character.
What can we expect from the new series?
It's about a hostage negotiator. The story is seen through the eyes of Dominic King,
who is the negotiator. At the beginning of this series Dominic is sewn up in a routine if there is such thing as routine - negotiation that very quickly escalates into
something that's a lot more than he or the people who did the initial kidnapping
expected. It becomes a multinational, high profile, catastrophe; and Dominic is right
at the centre.
The initial kidnapping leads to the hijacking of a bus full of tourists. Did you
base the story on real-life events?
We did research. There was a story in Brazil, it didn't come about in exactly this way,
but the situation escalated. A man found himself on a coach and suddenly the
cameras of the world were pointing at him and by circumstance, he took a number of
people hostage. It ended in disaster.
What have you learnt about hostage negotiation and applied to Dominic’s
character?
Dominic is an ex-military man who became a hostage negotiator. It's the first time
these guys, who’ve lived through military processes with guns and warfare, have
negotiation as their only weapon. They have to stay calm and cool whereas maybe
deep inside they're thinking they want to do the opposite. The only process is to
create trust and to be very calm under pressure.
I think the dilemma that runs inside them is that they know in the past they have
solved problems by warfare and this time they have to do it peacefully. They have a
moral dilemma because a lot of people think hostage negotiators perpetrate a crime
because they are rewarding criminals with financial reward for hostages. The
question they always ask is, If you had your nearest and dearest taken hostage,
would you want someone to negotiate for their release or not? And everybody does.
For trust to be built up, you can't go in there and shoot the kidnappers dead because
the whole thing would break down.
Do you currently work with real-life hostage negotiators?
We are in touch with the outfit we modelled ourselves on. They look at all our scripts
and authenticate them for us.
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When we’ve met with them they have their three phones, and every now and then
they'll walk away and say, 'sorry, it's the situation', which is what they call it, and they
take the call. It's like they’re speaking to their mum but they're not, they're speaking
to someone in Somalia or wherever - it’s extraordinary.
What are they like?
Most of them are retired, military men, who really can't live with retirement and they're
trying to go back to the adrenaline. I've met five of them and they were all pretty
much the same - they just wanted to be back on the front line for the thrills and the
tension of it all.
They have a responsibility about them, they're pretty solid individuals. They've been
through a lot by the time they are in their mid-fifty’s. They've seen some live action
such as the first Gulf War and Ireland. They're pretty tough, cool, collective guys; I
kind of like them.
Do you think you’d have the skills to be a hostage negotiator?
I think I'd be a really bad hostage negotiator; I'm not sure I'd have the patience! It can
take weeks and months sometimes to negotiate, and negotiations inevitably go
wrong, at least twice as they say. You might go along and at the last minute they
want more money - it's not a smooth process. Also, you have to keep a sense of
perspective throughout it all, because you're negotiating for someone's life. The real
responsibility they have is that the one thing they do wrong could result in the death
of the hostage.
How does Dominic’s career affect his personal relationships?
The one thing the negotiators I’ve met all had in common was the difficulty of
sustaining a relationship because they spend so much time away. With the five I met,
four were on their second marriage. Perhaps it’s because having lived in an isolated
male world for so long, they find it difficult to adapt to domesticity.
In Dominic's case, his second marriage to his wife Sophie is breaking up as we start
the show. We're not sure why it's breaking up – whether it's because of the potential
relationship with Angela, or just because their marriage has just run its course. In the
first series of Kidnap and Ransom his wife said she supported him but now it's time
for him to stay at home and support her career. I think it's his inability to accept this
that causes the rift. In this series we see Sophie embarking on her career, and we do
see a development in the relationship between Dominic and Angela.
This series is set in India but filmed in South Africa. How did you achieve this?
It's down to all of the production team and the brilliant job they did to recreate India.
We had a production designer, Robert Van De Coolwyk who was just fantastic. Plus,
the geography of South Africa is amazing; you can use the landscapes and terrain to
shoot a number of different countries.
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You are the executive producer of Kidnap and Ransom as well as the star, how
did you balance the two roles?
It's all down to the people that work with me. We have a great team of people
working on Kidnap and Ransom.
I've been producing for quite a long time and I hope to be involved in a lot more
productions in the future.
Trevor’s television and film credits include: Waking the Dead; Bouquet of Barbed
Wire; Framed; Hughie Green Most Sincerely; Troy.
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Helen Baxendale is Angela Beddoes
Are you pleased to be back for a second series of Kidnap and Ransom?
I was delighted about the recommission of the series. I got a very good response
from friends and people who approached me on the street who said they enjoyed the
first series.
What can we expect from the second series?
Kidnap and Ransom is about a company, Beddoes King. They negotiate for the
release of kidnap victims across the world. They don't act on behalf of the
government because the government can't be seen to negotiate with kidnappers.
Instead they are dealing with the insurance company of the people involved and with
their families. It's quite interesting because we hear about kidnap and ransom
scenarios in the news, and Beddoes King are the shadowy figures behind the scenes
we don't hear much about.
This series is set in Kashmir, India, although we filmed it in South Africa. There are
more hostages this time because a bus full of tourists is hijacked, and aboard the bus
is one particular high profile hostage, which makes the ordeal more complicated and
political.
How have you developed Angela Beddoes' character?
Angela was very much part of the business last time. In this series we meet her
young son. Rather than being based in London for the duration she also makes the
journey to India in episode three. It was really good to get involved in some of the
action!
Do you share any of Angela’s characteristics?
I'm not particularly business minded or organised. I would say I'm the antithesis of
Angela. I think she's quite tough.
Will we see any romance between her and her partner at Beddoes King,
Dominic?
The line between Angela and Dominic’s professional and non-professional
relationship becomes more blurred. Dominic has now split from his wife. Angela has
always really liked him and their working relationship forces them together a lot of the
time. She spends a fair amount of time worrying about him professionally and as a
person. There is definitely something between them but it’s hard to tell where it will
go in the future.
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How does Angela’s closeness to Dominic affect her relationship with his exwife, Sophie?
Angela and Sophie have known each other for a long time and there's a respect and
a gentle friendship between them. Angela does feel a sense of guilt because Dominic
spends a lot of time with her, but I don’t think she has a lot to feel guilty about
because nothing has happened previously. There is very little time for anything
romantic when dealing with global events at all hours of the day! In the scenes
played out between Angela and Sophie we tried to display confrontation on a
professional level instead of a personal level.
Did you enjoy filming in South Africa?
It's very exciting and a privilege to film in Cape Town. I’ve done a lot of filming there
now so I did a lot less sight seeing this time. Although, I did go whale watching
because it was the right time of year to see whales migrating.
Whilst you were on set a baboon came within metres of filming, were you
frightened?
We were filming in a forest for part of episode three. At one point I had to hide behind
a tree and there were no other people with me because the camera and all the other
actors and crew were about 100 metres away. I stood with my head against a tree
and I suddenly became aware of a presence. I turned around and there was a full
size baboon only a metre away just looking at me. Just before it happened someone
had been telling me how dangerous they are, and how they are more likely to attack
a woman. All this went through my mind. I stayed very still and the baboon then
wandered onto set and just sat and watched everyone film the scene!
What did you think of the locations and sets used for this series?
I’ve never been to India but I'd love to go at some point in my life. Although we were
in South Africa it could have been India - there is something about the light in the sky
that is exotic. I think the team did a brilliant job. India has a red earth that we used on
the ground to create the same feel. As soon as I stepped foot on set I felt I was there,
but behind the cameras I’d be in South Africa again.
Helen’s television and film credits include: Anonymous; Dirk Gently; Lewis; Agatha
Christie’s Marple; The Only Boy for Me; Cold Feet.
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Sharon Small is Beth Cooper
What drew you to Kidnap and Ransom, and to the role of Beth Cooper?
It’s a good drama and it’s really current; since working on Kidnap and Ransom I’ve
noticed the statistics on how many kidnappings there are. I think it’s a terrible and
inhumane way of making money, especially as it seems kidnappers will so easily kill
their hostages.
What I like about Beth is that she’s gutsy and very real and full of determination. It
could seem like she’s a victim because she is the representative of someone at
home, helpless when she sees on television that her family have been taken
hostage. But instead of just sitting by the phone and doing what she’s told, she gets
on a plane to India, and into a potentially dangerous situation to try and get her voice
heard to save her family. I haven’t played a character like Beth on television before.
How are we introduced to Beth?
We first see Beth when she’s at home and she hasn’t gone on holiday to India with
her husband Shaun or her parents because her son has chicken pox. The family
couldn’t afford to let the holiday go, so they made the decision for her to stay at home
and look after her son whilst Shaun accompanies her parents, particularly because
her father has been diagnosed with cancer and doesn’t have long to live.
The news of the kidnapping comes on the television. Beth can’t quite believe it at
first. When she tries to get information she doesn’t know who to talk to and doesn’t
get any help. As the kidnapping unfolds in front of her eyes she feels she has to go to
India and be there doing something because she can’t do anything from home.
How does the story unfold when Beth arrives in India?
It must be so painful watching your family as they experience something so
frightening. In India Beth is still full of frustration and fear because she is paralysed
from being able to do anything to help. There is all this red tape, and this is one of the
reasons why Dominic King is so important because he cuts through it and is the link
to saving her family and the other hostages.
Beth needs Dominic’s help but her first reaction is that he won’t give anything away.
She then jumps to the conclusion that her family will be last in being freed because
Dominic has to prioritise the more important people, tick them off the list first, and her
family are just ‘ordinary folk’. It’s a frustrating situation, particularly as further events
unfold and she feels more and more powerless to help her loved ones who are in
grave danger.
Do you share any similarities to Beth?
I hope I share her strength and courage. I imagine myself as the sort of person who
wouldn’t be able to just sit back, especially if it concerned my children. However, I
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think you don’t always know in any given situation what you would do until it
happens.
Can you explain Beth’s relationship with her husband, Shaun Cooper?
Beth and Shaun were having problems before he went to India with her parents. An
important part of their story in Kidnap and Ransom is the realisation of what you have
when you think you might lose it. The kidnapping reminds Beth what she really feels,
and is about her recognising she wants Shaun in her life so they can work on their
relationship.
What was it like filming in South Africa?
South Africa was beautiful. However, it was hard for me because I’m a mother and it
was the first time I’ve been away from my children for so long. I don’t know whether
mothers find it particularly hard or whether we just give ourselves a hard time about
it! I was away for six weeks in total. I did really well for a while, but then on the
journey home I sat on the plane and burst into tears at the prospect of seeing them at
the end of the flight.
The upside to South Africa was revisiting Cape Town. I went there originally in 1995
for four days but didn’t stay on and look around. I always wanted to go back and
filming Kidnap and Ransom gave me the lovely opportunity to do so. Whilst I was
there I hooked up with some of the other actors and we hired a car and explored all
round the area; it was just beautiful.
Have you ever been to India?
I have been to Thailand and Malaysia, but I haven’t been to India and I’m sad about
that. I would like to go, it sounds wonderful.
When you stepped on the dressed set were you immediately transported to
India?
The very first scene I filmed was Beth’s arrival in India. I felt I was right there from the
off and it was very much how I imagine it to be in India. I was bombarded by Indian
extras acting as locals trying to sell things or take me places.
What do you have coming up next?
I’ll be doing an episode of New Tricks.
Sharon’s television and film credits include: Downton Abbey; Mistresses; Agatha
Christie’s Marple; Murderland; The Inspector Lynley Mysteries; Rebus; About a Boy.
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Madhur Mittal is Anwar Razdan
What prompted you to want to star in Kidnap and Ransom?
I was in Mumbai when I read the script. I thought it was great. I loved the activity;
there is so much happening. I think it’s a great project to be apart of.
I thought my character, Anwar, was great too. He’s a very human guy. He’s not that
bad a person as you first think he is. He’s very grey, which is how most people
normally are and it’s his situation that has made him the kind of person he is – the
pressure of putting food on the table, growing up without any education, in a really
poor family. Kidnapping is something he is pushed into by his circumstances.
When the handover for the initial kidnapping goes wrong, Anwar ends up
hijacking a bus full of tourists. How does Anwar try to maintain control in a
situation that is spiralling out of control?
To be honest, when he gets on that bus I think he is more scared than anyone else
because he’s just witnessed the death of his father. He’s on a bus full of foreigners
and there are policemen all around him and snipers pointing at him. There is no way
out and he didn’t plan any of it.
Anwar is so scared that he’s scary. He himself doesn’t know what he’s going to do
and that unpredictability is frightening for everyone. I think it’s a real test of his
character because it’s as extreme a situation as you can get yourself into.
What was your approach in playing Anwar?
Anwar is so organic and so real, I wanted to just feel his character and do it rather
than research similar characters. He’s a very simple guy and there’s not that much
complexity to him.
How does Anwar compare to other characters that you’ve played?
Anwar is very different to other characters I’ve played because he is really just doing
this because he needs to rather than because he wants to. In Slumdog Millionaire I
played Salim, and he loved being a bad-ass because he loved to show off and loved
the money. However, for Anwar it’s need because he’s trying to get his family out of
the gutter. I don’t think he’s ever going to do this again; it was a one time thing. I
have never played anyone who gets pushed so much to the extreme.
Do you like Anwar as a character?
I very much like Anwar because he loves his parents and respects his family. I can
relate to him on that level. I think family is the one constant throughout life and if you
don’t have very good relations with them or don’t respect what they’ve done for you
it’s very sad. I am whatever I am because of my family.
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How does Anwar view Dominic King, the hostage negotiator?
Anwar knows Dominic is there to try and help them all. I think there is a mutual
admiration between the two of them. Dominic knows it’s not Anwar’s fault as he didn’t
ask for this to happen. Dominic understands his psyche. I love the relationship
between both characters.
Did you enjoy filming in South Africa?
It was wonderful filming in Cape Town. The city is amazing. Between filming days I
went surfing and climbed mountains. The people were always smiling and happy and
I enjoyed their good music, great food and beautiful landscape.
As a native of India, did the dressed sets remind you of home?
I was born in Agra, where the Taj Mahal is, but have been living in Mumbai for 15
years with my parents and my younger brother. We moved to Mumbai because I
wanted to be an actor.
The sets in Cape Town do remind me of home. I think it’s quite believable what the
production achieved, with all the props and finding the right locations. They used
proper old Indian cars and rickshaws and the policemen look exactly the same.
Do you hope to do more British drama?
I’d love to do more drama in the UK and hope to move to London. I’ve done a lot of
work at home in India but I’d like to grow as an actor and do more variety of work.
Also, I want to come to London as I have never done theatre and I really want to. I
used to be a stage performer. I started off as a dancer and I used to be a Michael
Jackson impersonator – I did more than a 1,000 shows all over the world before I
was 13 years old. I then moved on to acting so I would like to bring these two things
together.
Madhur’s credits include: Treasure Island; Slumdog Millionaire; Say Salaam India:
Lets Bring the Cup Home; One 2 Ka 4.
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Gregg Chillin is Mahavir Mehta
What drew you to be in Kidnap and Ransom?
I really liked the story and the challenge of playing a character such as Mahavir.
How are we introduced to Mahavir Mehta?
Mahavir and his family have been kidnapped. We first see him and his family – his
dear mother, stern father and his little sister – tied and gagged on the floor of a room
in an Indian sweat-shop. It’s brutal and scary.
The kidnappers then take the family to the handover with Dominic King, but it goes
wrong and in the panic Mahavir is kept hostage. He and the kidnappers end up on a
bus full of tourists.
The viewers don’t know much about Mahavir to begin with but there is an interesting
moment when we see him being re-kidnapped and he looks a bit shocked and
terrified, especially when he unexpectedly hits his head. However, there’s also a
flicker of coolness about him showing there’s more to his character than meets the
eye.
What was it like filming the kidnapping scenes?
Although the production was considerate during the filming of the sweat-shop
scenes, just the act of having your arms tied together and being gagged and having
to sit on the dirt floor, leaning on each other made me feel vulnerable, anxious, and
uncomfortable.
How did you approach playing Mahavir?
Mahavir comes from a wealthy family. He flunked out of university and went to
Mumbai to start a business with the money his father gave him but he blew it all and
his business completely failed. His parents are in India to visit him, and he’s
desperate for them not to learn of his failings.
Every actor has to like their character to a degree in order to understand the choices
they make. I think he’s a desperate and pathetic character. And when you’re as
desperate as he is, you’re driven to do things that are crazy to those who are a step
back looking in.
In playing Mahavir, I concentrated particularly on the relationship between him and
his father, which was clearly very difficult. I empathise with him. I have a fantastic
relationship with my father but I can understand if I didn’t, I would definitely struggle
and find it difficult to deal with the issue.
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Did you do any research into kidnappings?
I did research and was sent information by the production including statistics on
kidnappings. I was really surprised how many there are. We all know it goes on but
not necessarily to the extent it does. In the news recently a British aid worker was
kidnapped. The story normally wouldn’t have stuck out to me but since doing Kidnap
and Ransom I recognise the severity of what they must be going through and what
must be happening behind the scenes.
Why should viewers tune into Kidnap and Ransom?
What I love about Kidnap and Ransom is that you see the action from every single
side; Dominic King as the hostage negotiator, the local police, the kidnappers and
even the British Foreign Secretary. It’s very well done and entertaining.
Did you enjoy filming in South Africa?
Filming in South Africa was awesome, absolutely brilliant. The landscape was just
fantastic with the mountains and the sea. The wines and food were amazing. I really
had a lovely time and tried to do as many daytrips as possible when we weren’t
filming. Madhur and I went surfing a couple of times at Surfer’s Corner in
Muizenberg, which is a really good place for surfing. We saw whales about 150 yards
from where we were. I also went to Robben Island and up Table Mountain twice. The
first time my mum and friend came out to visit me for a few days and I took them up
to the top, it was so nice that I went back up there on a day off with a book and sat
and read in the sunshine.
What else have you got coming up?
I’m in a four-part drama called Inside Men on BBC 1. My character is a very slow
burner but pivotal to the plot.
Greg’s television and film credits include: Zen; Huge; Pulse; Being Human; Waking
the Dead; Nearly Famous; A Good Year.
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Kimberley Nixon is Florence Holland
What prompted you to want to star in Kidnap and Ransom?
I was excited to return to hard-hitting drama having spent the summer making
comedy show, Fresh Meat for Channel 4. Also, the calibre of the other actors starring
in Kidnap and Ransom was a major draw!
How are we introduced to your character, Florence Holland?
Flo is a care-free girl travelling around India by herself. She is trying to find herself
but also, more importantly, find out more about her mother, who passed away when
she was younger but also travelled the same route to India. Since her mother’s death
she’s had a strained relationship with her father. They care about each other deeply,
but they aren't very good at being honest with each other and Flo feels this trip to
India will give her answers about her mother that her father cannot.
When we first meet her she has had a no-strings night with an American tourist. It's
her go-with-the-flow attitude that lands her into trouble; she's in the wrong place at
the wrong time and ends up as one of the hostages on the hijacked bus.
What else can we expect as the story unfolds?
As the drama continues we learn more about Flo, and that she has a very important
connection that will affect the kidnap and ransom situation.
How would you describe Florence?
Flo is feisty and won't go down without a fight, something I think she didn't know
about herself until her survival instinct kicks in.
I like to think I would stick up for others and not bow down to intimidation in the same
way as Flo, but you never know how you'll react until you're faced with a terrifying
situation like that. She has ambition and integrity and that's something we all aspire
to have.
How does she cope with being put through the terrifying ordeal on the bus?
Flo is more up to the task than even she realises. She's shrewd and smart and is an
excellent observer of human behaviour, using this to her advantage. She does what
she needs to do to protect herself and those people she cares about.
What was it like filming the scenes on the hijacked bus?
Filming on the bus was very intense. We spent more than ten days in stifling heat
and in a claustrophobic atmosphere, but it was perfect for the scenes we were
shooting. There was great camaraderie amongst all the actors and when things got
tough, we helped each other through it.
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How does Florence view the hijackers?
She doesn't seem to have much sympathy for them. I think her view is that however
bad your circumstances in life are, you have no right to terrify, kill and rob innocent
people. She's pretty black and white about it.
What was it like filming in South Africa?
South Africa is a beautiful country and I did have some time for sight-seeing. A
highlight for me was going whale-watching for my birthday and climbing Table
Mountain. It was hard work but the views are staggering.
Have you been to India?
I have never been to India but heard a lot about it from Madhur Mittal (who plays
Anwar) as he lives in Mumbai. It sounds fascinating and a trip there is definitely on
my wish list. I thought the production team did a great job recreating Kashmir in Cape
Town. Not an easy task!
What can we see you in next?
I have a film called Hunky Dory, set in the summer of '76, starring Minnie Driver and
another movie called Elfie Hopkins, a horror film with a twist, both due out this year!
I’m also shooting a second series of Fresh Meat this summer. I’m extremely proud
that the first series of Fresh Meat recently won a British Comedy Award.
Kimberley’s television and film credits include: Fresh Meat; Resistance; Midsomer
Murders; Law & Order: UK; Black Death; Agatha Christie’s Poirot; Cherrybomb; Easy
Virtue; Cranford; Angus Throngs and Full-Frontal Snogging.
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KIDNAP AND RANSOM II
***The following synopses are published in the press pack for forward planning
purposes only. Please do not reproduce entirely and do not publish the end of
the story. Many thanks.***
Episode One
Srinagar, Kashmir. Dominic King is negotiating the release of a British Asian family
kidnapped while on holiday visiting their son Mahavir. As the handover is completed,
the police arrive and a shoot-out ensues. The kidnappers (Anwar and Leela) get
away with Mahavir and in their panic they board a tourist bus, taking all the
passengers hostage. Dominic must negotiate with Anwar, whilst trying to convince
the police not to attack. Beth, a housewife in Manchester, sees the coach on the
news and realises her parents and husband, Shaun, are hostages, and heads to
Srinagar. When Anwar learns his family has been arrested he threatens to kill a
hostage an hour until they are released. Dominic persuades Anwar to give him until
dawn to get the family released but things escalate when Carrie and Dominic
discover there is someone important on board the bus.
***please contact the ITV press office for the synopses for episodes 2 and 3***
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Cast Credits
Dominic King ...............................................................................................TREVOR EVE
Angela Beddoes............................................................................. HELEN BAXENDALE
Carrie Heath.............................................................................................AMARA KARAN
Sophie King.......................................................................................... NATASHA LITTLE
Robert Holland ........................................................................................... OWEN TEALE
Florence Holland ............................................................................... KIMBERLEY NIXON
Anwar Razdan .................................................................................... MADHUR MITTAL
Leela Nishad ...........................................................................................HASINA HAQUE
Mahavir Mehta .......................................................................................GREGG CHILLIN
Beth Cooper ...........................................................................................SHARON SMALL
Insp. Joythi Kohli .................................................................................... LETISHA SINGH
Karl Fraser ................................................................................................... DANIEL FOX
Janet Taylor ..................................................................................... BARBARA MARTEN
Chris Taylor......................................................................................... CHRIS FAIRBANK
Shaun Cooper ............................................................................................SEAN GILDER
Indian Tour Guide ............................................................................. KHALIL KATHRADA
Joshua .................................................................................................... CONRAD KEMP
Louise .............................................................................................. KERSTIN FRANCES
Brendan ................................................................................................... DYLAN SKEWS
Rhiane ..................................................................................................... LISE SLABBER
Mr Hiresh Mehta ...................................................................................... DAVID DENNIS
Mrs Jasmin Mehta............................................................................... DENISE NEWMAN
Elina Mehta .......................................................................................... CHAE PIETERSE
Iqbal Razdan ...........................................................................................PETER BUTLER
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Production Credits
Executive Producer .....................................................................................TREVOR EVE
Executive Producer ................................................................................RACHEL GESUA
Producer ............................................................................................TREVOR HOPKINS
Director ..................................................................................................... DAVID DRURY
Writer ........................................................................................... MICHAEL CROMPTON
UK Line Producer......................................................................................... MIKE TREEN
Production Supervisor ........................................................................ ANGELA PHILLIPS
Production Designer ......................................................... ROBERT VAN DE COOLWYK
DOP ..........................................................................................................MIKE SPRAGG
Costume Designer ....................................................................................... KATE CARIN
Make up & Hair Designer .......................................................................... SUE MICHAEL
UK Casting Director ............................................................................... SUSIE PARRISS
SA Casting Director .............................................................. CHRISTA SCHAMBERGER
SA Location Manager .......................................................................... DEON DU PREEZ
Stunt Coordinator ................................................................................... GRANT HULLEY
SFX Coordinator ................................................................................. MICKEY KIRSTEN
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